AGRICULTURE’S FUTURE INDOORS
A controlled environment can mean year-round food without pesticides
Will you give up eating some fruit and vegetables in winter? Why would you? With a high nutritional value, these staples are an essential part of our recommended daily diet, no matter the season.
You may have second thoughts when you consider the distance our greens travel from faraway fields and orchards to our kitchen counter and the effects on the environment.
Hawaii, New Zealand, Morocco and Mexico are some of the spots from which fresh produce arrives by plane, boat and truck. Those modes of transport are known to emit greenhouse gases, which scientists link to global warming and which ironically leads to drought and ravages agricultural production around the world including, at times, here at home.
For example, according to a Natural Resources Defense Council report in 2005, exports of fruits, nuts, and vegetables from California by airplane alone released more than 63,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to the emissions produced by 12,000 cars a year.
Fortunately, Canada has been blessed with some of the most fertile soil in the world. Not only do we feed ourselves plenty, but we generously share our surpluses with needy nations. When it comes to local fruits and vegetables, we harvest in late summer and freeze some to consume in winter. Yet, the lion’s share comes from afar. So, what are we to do? Indoor farming strives to mimic natural growing conditions at an enhanced rate to maximize food production. This can be done in public spaces and on a small scale in any dwelling, making fresh food readily available.
For ideal food production, plants require a mix of light, water, nutrition, carbon dioxide and warmth.
In most areas of the world, these conditions are limited, nonexistent, or may only present themselves at certain times of the year. Indoors, these aspects can be controlled so that any space, regardless of climate, can potentially become a farm yielding financial and environmental benefits.
Even the simplest system of indoor farming can use up to 90 per cent less water without the need for toxic pesticides. And a commercial growing operation of 2,500 square feet can produce enough food for hundreds of families. On a smaller scale, an indoor farm could easily sustain the average home’s fruit and vegetable needs.
The easiest way to assemble an indoor farm is to lay out trays filled with layers of compost, organic material and soil that are stacked with fruits and vegetables.
This can be done in a temperature-controlled room, and the plants must be watered or misted as specified.
Where can these indoor farms be? Any heated and lit area, including leftover urban spaces.
Enter Pasona O2. In the heart of Tokyo’s commercial district, under an office tower, lies the city’s first underground community farm. It was drawn up by Kono Designs with the goal of expanding agriculture to uninhabited urban spaces. It’s also an attempt to provide mass education about local food production and increase employment opportunities.
The space, originally used as a bank vault, was transformed into six different rooms, each being home to a specific field, including flowers, herbs, rice shelves, fruits, vegetables and seedlings. The rice paddies are located in the building’s lobby in plain view of passersby.
The growing system is entirely controlled by sensors, regulating temperature and light to optimize crop yields. Light comes from LED, metal halide, high fluorescent and high-pressure sodium lamps. Critics may argue that using artificial lighting is inefficient, but in view of the fossil fuel consumed during alternate transportation, harvest and packaging processes, using artificial lighting is preferable.
Farming in a controlled environment also ensures that the produce is fully organic, with no pesticides. And with the rising concern for food safety and contamination, O2 represents a safer alternative to traditional farming.
Most work done at O2 is by unemployed citizens, people seeking a second career, or those who are simply interested in receiving agricultural training and experience. Seminars and lectures are provided to educate future farmers.
O2 is valued not only because it’s able to supply the company’s cafeteria with fresh, organic produce, but because it provides employees on break an escape from their office environment.
Climate change, high costs and food safety concerns have made us rethink our food production, distribution and consumption methods. It just may happen that our future farms will be right under our office buildings or in our own basements.